Reader Jim Halverson shares photos today from the northern Indiana Amish settlement. Taken on more than one occasion throughout the year, these are some nice shots showing buggy traffic and other activities going on in the settlement. I’ll let Jim take it from here to describe what we’re seeing in this visit to the world’s third largest Amish community.


I have recently been making a few trips to Shipshewana, Indiana to explore a rekindled interest in Amish culture. For those who may not be familiar with the area, Shipshewana is in LaGrange County which I believe is the third largest Amish community in the country. Shipshewana has always been noted for it’s large flea market and over the years a variety of shops have sprung up that cater to out of area visitors. There is also a popular theater and concert venue.

After attending a concert there last April I decided to check out a consignment auction the next day that was a few miles from Shipshewana. I figured it might be an opportunity to get some photos of a few buggies.

Not knowing anything about the auction plus the day being very cold with pouring down rain, I was expecting to see 30 or 40 buggies.

When we arrived in the area we ran into “buggy jams” and I’m “guesstimating” there were over 600 buggies parked in 3 or 4 fields.

Sunday mornings are a good time to tour Amish Country. At several locations I saw homes where church services were being held. Below you see horses tethered between a tractor and a front end loader while church service was held near the home.

Here are some kids playing outside a very nice home while church was going on. I noticed they were wearing their Sunday best.

Driving in the area on Friday, August 24 I was reminded that school had already started and folks were finishing up some hay baling.

 

While it is difficult to see in the photo, to the right of the hay wagon is an arm that lifts the round bale onto the wagon.

Saturday mornings are quite busy in Shipshewana. It appears that’s when folks are grocery shopping and coming into town for errands.

While my wife was shopping at Yoder’s Red Barn Shoppes I sat near a hitching post and watched the bike and buggy traffic on State Road 5.

Here a buggy goes by the Menno-Hof Amish Mennonite Center.

It looked like some folks were out having fun. I’m not sure if they are Amish, but the guys here were drafting behind a buggy that was flying down SR 5.

The bike rack in this photo was quite interesting. I’ve seen similar set-ups for pickup trucks but not buggies.

Things really slow down after noon on Saturdays so I took a drive in the countryside and saw some guys lifting what appeared to be a new buggy onto a carriage.

In the driveway of another home a young boy was giving even younger boys a ride in the pony wagon.

Finally I came across a couple leaving a phone shanty and watched as they walked down the road towards home.

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